Swimming and back pain?

by Verna
(Essex)

I swim three mornings a week following a night shift in a hospital. I swim for half and hour but lately I have experienced what I think is sciatica. Could the swimming have anything to do with my lower back pain?

Hi Verna

Without a full assessment it's impossible to be sure what is giving you the problem. If you visit your GP or Physiotherapist they will be able to properly assess the problem and advise you about your swimming. However, personally I doubt that it’s the swimming that has caused the back problem. Presumably, you have been swimming for a while and never had problems in the past? Has anything changed? There may be no reason to point the finger at the swimming causing the back pain any more than anything else. Sometimes though, certain postures can aggravate back pain so a good assessment is essential to clarify this for you.

In fact keeping active has been shown to be the best thing you can do for simple lower back pain. I have met countless people who assume that the exercise they do has caused their problem, then they stop exercising, their back pain doesn't improve but their fitness levels decrease and often they feel really fed up without activity. Another common side effect of this is an increasing fear of activity following back pain, this is a well known problem that can make the symptoms of back pain feel worse and make it more likely that you will get more chronic or longstanding problems with your back.

Sciatica is caused by an irritation of the sciatic nerve and is usually caused by a disc bulge (occasionally other things but less commonly), only 5% of people with back pain actually have sciatica. There is no clear cause for disc bulges, many people have them and don’t even realise it. Many text books will tell you that lifting with a twisting movement may make a disc bulge occur, however I have met hundreds of people with sciatica where the symptoms actually came on quite gradually and it is impossible for them to pinpoint the cause. This section will tell you more about the causes and symptoms of sciatica.

Finally, read more about the Do's and Don'ts of treatment for acute back pain. There are some suggestions here that you could discuss with your doctor.

Regards

Paula


Ask a Question
Lower Back Pain Toolkit Home Page

Comments for
Swimming and back pain?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 12, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Swimming has helped my sciatica
by: Allan

I have always been a swimmer, but switched to working out on a treadmill on the advice of my cardiologist. He thought it was easier to monitor the level of activity.

It caused a flare up in my sciatica, which had never been bad up to this point. I tried to continue, but the pain just got worse, so I went back to swimming 1000 yds. every day and the pain almost vanished. I then tried going back to the treadmill, but the pain returned. Now I am swimming and feeling much better.

The problem with sciatica is that there really are different reasons for it and consequently different forms of exercise may have different effects.
Nov 07, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Improvements
by: Marty

Just letting those interested know that I have made some changes and am consequently experiencing improvements. I am stretching before and after swimming with particular focus on lower back, I am breathing to both sides and I think most importantly when tumble turning I am only kicking off with my outside leg to minimise twisting on the inside of my hip. So far soo good - Im even getting to my feet faster in the surf.

I agree that breast stroke could be sore through extension (as opposed to twisting), which is interesting because Im sure most swimmers see breast stroke as relatively low impact.

Keep on swimming!

Marty
Nov 07, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Exact opposite!
by: Anonymous

It's funny about this post because for me cycling was the sport that aggravated my lower back. I am a serious road cyclist and my bike is custom fitted. Doctor assumed I might have had have a back problem that did not bother me but was aggravated by the back being constantly arched. Weak stomach could have not helped either.
Having said that swimming (my favourite sport outside of cycling) is what I was told to do to help my back recover. So far it hasn't made the back worse and is gradually reducing the stress on the 2 slipped discs of the lower back that are compressing some nerves (from MRI results). I find the breast stroke and front crawl (freestyle) no problem.
Nov 01, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Agree
by: Anonymous

Yes, I have the same problem and it seems that breaststroke is the cause. I have upped my stroke rate in the last four months to a. Give myself a real workout and b. I find that trying to lower my time for 2.5k gives me an incentive to get in the pool in the first place! However, the result now is lower back pain. I have read elsewhere that this can be a problem with breaststroke. It is not so much poor technique as the thrust you use if you want to swim breaststroke quickly. It extends or possibly even hyper extends your lower back and pain is the result. My plan is to try and use other strokes to see if they are better. I will report back.
Oct 04, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Swimming technique and back pain
by: Marty

Hi

I also am certain that swimming has at least aggravated my lower back pain, and think it is to do with technique. I have been a swimmer all of my life and have never broken the habit of only breathing to my right. Curiously (or not) my back, and shoulder pain after swimming only occur on my right side. I am lucky enough to live and work in Fiji right next to a university pool so swim 1000 metres a day and refuse to give it up. I have been looking for technique tips and will try:
1. breathing to the left as well (gonna be hard - old dogs...)
2. being more aware of my body roll when breathing rather than just turning my head.
3. warming up

Wish me luck!
Sep 21, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Swimming, Cycling and Lower Back Pain
by: Richard

In my case I think there is a strong possibility that there is a link between sciatica and swimmimg. Rather than it helping, I believe it may be causing the problem or at the very least aggravating it. I swim only freestyle for a workout normally about 1000 yards. Over the last couple of years I have taken up cycling and over this last summer I have increased my cycling workouts and distances and to my amazement the back pain has completely gone away. I think it is essential that for this to work you need to get out of the saddle and climb hills (quite aggresively) and this works the back of the thighs, buttocks and lower back muscles all in one go. A friend of mine gave up tennis due to back problems but was convinced cycling was the cure. I did however recently increase my swim distance to 2000 yards for the last two sessions and noticed a little sciatic pain the day after, so its back on my bike tonight!!
Jun 27, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		swimming hurts
by: jan

Hi I have L5/S1 with constant sciactica and mild stenosis lumbar and as much as I would love to,I find I cannot swim without excruitiating burning pain in my back and legs.I have tried adjusting my swimming style even to just using my arms to move but still find it burns. I have read of lots of people who find swimming helps....wish I was one of them !! So I do what I can to be active....even walking at the moment is very painful and I find my gait is reduced to one foot in front of the other most of the time lol. I stretch,move use small hand weights,a yoga ball,cycle when I'm able, massage, tens, meds and a belt I can put hot or cold pack in. But I wish I could swim !!
Jun 07, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		swimming and sciatica
by: Anonymous

I am convinced that swimming aggravates my back issues. I am a runner and swimmer, for the past 30 years swimming or running or both every day. My sciatica got so bad a year ago that even with three x 12 week sessions of PT I could get no relief. I completely stopped running and swimming for a year. Each time I tried returning to swimming the back would flare up. Recently I got the pain completely under control and gradually started running slow/short. I can now run 30-45 min. per day. Three weeks ago I began adding swimming back and the back is flaring up again. I will quit swimming and continue running.
Sep 14, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		agree with the patient about swimming
by: Anonymous

I agree with the person reporting this symptom. I think swimming aggravated my back. I swim a lot, 1600 yards in a workout. For various reasons I was doing this workout with only a day of rest in between. I had swum once a week and had no problem. But when I cranked the swimming workout I had back pain a few months after I increased swimming. I think the stroke matters. 1/2 my workout if freestyle. I read somewhere that breast stroke is a problem. The rest of my workout is back strokes.

Click here to add your own comments

 

 

Custom Search

 

Share |

 

Don't Let Back Pain Stop You Living a Normal Life
back pain action guide

The Back Pain Action Guide is a six step programme that shows you how you can keep living a normal life and stop worrying about your back pain.

Click on the image of the book to learn more about what's inside.